Players say sled hockey rebuilds their strength

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: In the picture, Zach Einwang, left, of the Mt Lebanon High School Blue Devils hockey team, tries to keep the puck from Nathan Stivason, of the Mighty Pens sled hockey team, in the first period of a game at Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center on Feb. 21. The Mighty Pens won 10-2.

Josh Wirt, paralyzed from the waist down, moves like a pro on the ice. The 24-year-old sled hockey player doesn't let his disability keep him from staying active.

"When I'm playing I don't even notice that I'm disabled," he said. "It gives you that confidence. It's like I'm a regular person when I'm out on the ice," the Saltsburg man said during a break in the action at a recent game.

Sled hockey, a modified version of the traditional sport, came to Pittsburgh 10 years ago when staff at Erie Shriners Hospital for Children searched for a fun way for disabled youth to do physical therapy exercises, Ray Harding, local sled hockey coach, said. Players work on their respiratory system, endurance and upper body strength during practices, scrimmages and games.

Mr. Wirt joined the first and only Pittsburgh-area team, the Mighty Pens, when he was just 14 years old. He was recovering from a 1994 car accident that left him partially immobile, and his nurses at Shriners thought sled hockey would help him physically, mentally and socially.

"These are physically disabled kids who may not have ever been able to play a sport," Mr. Harding said. "And it is real. It's a rough sport and they love it."

The Mighty Pens pride themselves on their strength and sportsmanship. Each player has overcome a physical disability that limits mobility, especially standing, by adapting hockey into a sit-down, wild ride.

Some players, such as Mr. Wirt, have injuries from car accidents. Others suffer from disabilities, such as spina bifida or neurological and nerve problems.

At first glance, sled hockey looks nothing like its traditional namesake. Players, usually age 10 and older, sit in specially designed bucket-type seats on narrow metal sleds with two blades attached. They use two short hockey sticks, piercing the ice with the ends to propel themselves forward.

But the sit-down apparatus isn't the only difference, Mr. Harding said, it's the physical strain.

"When we let regular high school hockey players try it out they can't keep up because they don't have the same upper body strength," he said, "even though the rules are basically the same."

The Mighty Pens, registered with the USA Hockey Association, compete nationally and internationally. The team is traveling to the National Disabled Festival hosted by USA Hockey March 20-22 in Buffalo, N.Y., where they will play at the Amherst Pepsi Center.

Sled hockey also is included in the U.S. Paralympics. The U.S. National Sled Team recruited Mr. Wirt when he was only 15 years old.

Because the Mighty Pens is the only local sled hockey team, it generally holds scrimmages with teams from Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.

Games also are held as fundraisers against local high school teams. The team recently waged a friendly competition against the Mt. Lebanon High School Varsity Blue Devils. The Mighty Pens won 10-2.

"It's not easy at all, so they were having a hard time out there," Mr. Wirt said of the other team. "It was pretty fun to watch."

Proceeds from the event, nearly $2,000, will be used to purchase equipment. Players usually buy their own sleds, which can cost around $750, but they can purchase them at half price using the money raised.

The Mighty Pens also rely on financial support from the Sports Fund of the Erie Shriners Hospital for Children and the Spina Bifida Association of Greater Pittsburgh. The Blade Runners Ice Complex in Harmar donates practice time, and the International Hockey College provides training assistance.

The Pittsburgh Amateur Penguins Hockey Association also donates equipment, an office and storage space at the Blade Runners Ice Complex.

Mr. Harding said the team couldn't exist without the help of donors. His 14-year-old son, Zach, joined the team seven years ago at the suggestion of his physical therapist, and he said the program was more than just a sport.

"We checked it out one day, and the whole family fell in love with it. It's definitely filled the void," he said.

Mr. Wirt took some time off from playing from 2003 to 2008 while he attended the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown but was immediately drawn back. He doesn't know where he would be today without the sport.

"I just fell in love with being out on the ice," Mr. Wirt said. "It keeps me in shape and helped my self-confidence. When you're disabled, it's easy to get depressed. You need something to keep you up."